Do Not Make Eye Contact With Me
I will write a poem about you
Do NOT go on a date with me, I will write a book about you.
I’ve been playing around with some non-fiction rambles this year and thought I’d share a little blurb with you from time to time.
June 16, 2023
He obviously wasn’t coming. Why did she think he would? The rule was to always assume they wouldn’t show up, but she had let her guard down briefly and now it was happening all over again. The closer she got to the venue without hearing from him, the lower her heart sank.
5 minutes without a reply: He’s probably still at work, he will be on his way soon.
12 minutes without a reply: Maybe he had to stay late.
21 minutes without a reply: He is clearly not coming, and this concert ticket is going to waste.
24 minutes without a reply: I will never online date again. I will spend all my time working and writing about all of these assholes and I will get rich selling my book about it and I will retire on a beach in Spain and maybe meet a nice woman there, but I am never trusting a man again.
26 minutes–A REPLY!!!! “I’m five minutes away”
Of course he was coming! He said he was coming. She knew he was different, never doubted it for a minute. Okay, only doubted it for 25 minutes, but he proved her wrong. He was so obviously going to show up because he already said he would multiple times. He was so sweet. This time would be different.
An eternity later, when they each finally found parking, went in the correct building, out of the rain, checked in, and found a spot for the show—April was excited but very frazzled.
She was rambling and not breathing and not making eye contact and being fucking weird and maybe she should acknowledge that. “Sorry, I’m a little overwhelmed because I’m kind of working while I’m here– it took me forever to find parking and sorry they changed the location last minute, and oh here’s your Coke 0 and–sorry I’m stressed…”
He put his hands on her shoulders and took a deep breath in with a smile. “It's okay, we’re here now. I’m having a great time. We made it here and you’re super cute and everything is fine.” Why did she feel better already? Why was this stranger calming her down and why did she feel oddly comfortable with him when she had now known him for 4.5 minutes?